LANDMINE MONITOR 2000 LAUNCHING

Today, there are multiple events at the National Centre of Disabled Persons.

* Land Mine Monitor 2000 is released for Cambodia.
* The Paralympic Volley Ball Team, including eleven land mine survivors will make an appearance.
* A Cambodian made wheelchair will be farewelled to the Nobel Peace Museum in Stockholm.
* Song Kosal and Man Sokhoeurm, two teenage landmine survivors will promote their KIDS AGAINST WAR / YOUTH FOR PEACE CAMPAIGN.

LANDMINE MONITOR 2000 Reveals:

* 88 nations are currently affected by land-mines and UXO's.
* 71 countries have new mine victims since March 99.
* Countries with most new mine victims in 1999/2000 are Cambodia, Burma and Afghanistan.
* Cambodia had 1776 new victims in 1998, 1019 victims in 1999 and 540 victims till July 31, 2000.
* Since the Mine Ban Treaty of Ottawa in December 1997, 50 countries have destroyed 22 million mines, 250 million AP mines remains stockpiled in 100 countries. (China 110 million).
* 139 countries have signed the treaty and 105 have ratified it.
* In 1999 seven of the largest mine/UXO clearance programmes cleared a combined total of more than 168 million square metres of land. Cambodia cleared 11 million square metres.
* Heaviest use of anti-personnel mines was in Chechnya and in Kosovo. AP mines were used in new outbreaks of fighting in the Philippines and Kashmir.

A summary of the 1115 page Monitor is available from the Cambodia Campaign to Ban Landmines at the National Centre for Disabled Persons at 2pm on September 8, 2000, along with the Cambodia 2000 Land Mine Monitor and some notes for the press.

September 8, 2000

More info contact CC BL : Ny NHAR / Sr. Denise Coghlan : 855 23 880 139 E-mail: jrscam@forum.org.kh or camban@bigpond.com.kh